ATO warns of aggressive tax scam

Beware of phone scammers threatening jail or arrest if you don't pay a tax bill.

The Australian Tax Office has warned of an aggressive phone scam where fraudsters intimidate people into paying a phoney tax bill.

"We would never cold call you about a debt, we would never threaten jail or arrest, and our staff certainly wouldn't behave in an aggressive manner," ATO second commissioner Geoff Leeper said on Monday.